I
Immortal Sun
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People have had great success running Ravenloft adventures for a long time.
Which are intended for what, levels 1-10 I think?
People have had great success running Ravenloft adventures for a long time.
I'm not even sure myself, yet. Basically, my line of thinking was "So, they like Ravenloft--the gothic trappings, the tragedy, the angst. And they play a lot of druids. Fey could be sort of gothy and nature-y at the same time. And fey don't get used much in adventures, so it would be something out of the ordinary."Can you go into more detailed on what you mean by "fey-themed?" We're probably all coming at this with varied perspectives on what that means.
As I said above these people LOVE Ravenloft. I don't think I want them to run screaming from fey. I'd just like to be able to present fey and have them get the same kind of respect my players would give, say, a vampire. Something that could hurt them, that they'd want to be careful around, but also, something that has dignity, so they wouldn't just make a joke out of it. And absolutely not childish or cute.Respect, or fear?
Do you want your players to see some fae and run away screaming? Do you want them to pay humble respects in the presence of fae?
It's not terribly difficult to present horrifying creatures, but it is difficult to get people to take horror seriously. It's a problem I've had attempting to run Ravenloft and CoC.
I would start with a simple rule: Nothing smaller than Medium-size. Small monsters get no respect.As I said above these people LOVE Ravenloft. I don't think I want them to run screaming from fey. I'd just like to be able to present fey and have them get the same kind of respect my players would give, say, a vampire. Something that could hurt them, that they'd want to be careful around, but also, something that has dignity, so they wouldn't just make a joke out of it. And absolutely not childish or cute.
I would start with a simple rule: Nothing smaller than Medium-size. Small monsters get no respect.
Beyond that... themes of mind control and illusion are very common in fey legend. Fey can wipe your memories, twist your emotions, make you see things that aren't there and not see things that are, and erase your entire personality to turn you into a simple beast. I could envision an evil fey empire, with brainwashed, adoring humans waiting hand and foot on cruel elvish masters.
As I grope toward a picture of what I want, I'm thinking maybe ... so, like a psychological vampire? Something that could hurt you mentally/emotionally, in the way a vampire could hurt you physically? But not just a simple suck-your-brains-out threat like a mindflayer.
As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods,
They kill us for their sport.
King Lear Act 4, scene 1, 32–37
I'm not even sure myself, yet. Basically, my line of thinking was "So, they like Ravenloft--the gothic trappings, the tragedy, the angst. And they play a lot of druids. Fey could be sort of gothy and nature-y at the same time. And fey don't get used much in adventures, so it would be something out of the ordinary."
As I said above these people LOVE Ravenloft. I don't think I want them to run screaming from fey. I'd just like to be able to present fey and have them get the same kind of respect my players would give, say, a vampire. Something that could hurt them, that they'd want to be careful around, but also, something that has dignity, so they wouldn't just make a joke out of it. And absolutely not childish or cute.
As I grope toward a picture of what I want, I'm thinking maybe ... so, like a psychological vampire? Something that could hurt you mentally/emotionally, in the way a vampire could hurt you physically? But not just a simple suck-your-brains-out threat like a mindflayer.
Thanks! I do subscribe to En5ider, and noticed that article in passing. I'll have to read it in detail.wyrdly enough I just noticed that the EnSider Villain Spotlight Granny Buccus is very much this, although they're using a succubus as their base, she is presented as the 'old crone' - so very much a Fey
Good idea. Are Emotion Vampires written up in detail anywhere?indeed Hags are my favourite Fey and I recommend using them as well as taking other creatures (like Emotion Vampires and Succubi) and re-coating them as Fey too
That makes a lot of sense, at least for fey the group is expected to interact with.I would start with a simple rule: Nothing smaller than Medium-size. Small monsters get no respect.
It's possible that I've never played in a game that used mindflayers up to their full potential. In my experience, they are not treated as social encounters, just "Kill them before they suck your brains out!" monsters.I think it's interesting that you mention mind flayers as a "simple suck-your-brains-out threat", since they too like the fae have a sort of blue/orange "chaotic evil" system. They're literal aliens. Their organizational structure, much less their motivations, are difficult to pin down making them feel "chaotic" when it's really more that we mere humans have difficulty comprehending their thought process.
It's possible that I've never played in a game that used mindflayers up to their full potential. In my experience, they are not treated as social encounters, just "Kill them before they suck your brains out!" monsters.
I would start with a simple rule: Nothing smaller than Medium-size. Small monsters get no respect.